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Mike Green, President Donald Trump’s pick for Army secretary, has withdrawn his nomination Friday amidst criticism over his controversial statements about Islam, transgender rights and gay marriage.
Green confirmed the news in a written statement.
Opposition to Green’s nomination, who had been Trump’s second pick for Army secretary, mounted over the last week, with multiple groups criticizing his controversial remarks and record.
“When you start teaching [students] the pillars of Islam and you start teaching how to pray as a Muslim, that is over the top and we will not tolerate that in this state,” Green reportedly said at a Tea Party meeting.
“If you poll the psychiatrists, they’re going to tell you that transgender is a disease,” Green also allegedly said in September.
Green, a Republican state senator in Tennessee and former Army medic who did three tours in Iraq, rejected the criticism, saying that the “liberal left has cut and spliced my words about terrorism and ISIS, blatantly falsifying what I’ve said,” CNN reported.
A number of US senators also called on President Trump to choose someone else. Most were opposed due to some of Green’s controversial past comments.
Green said in a statement that those who opposed him were using “false and misleading attacks.”
“Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain,” he said.
Trump’s first pick for Army secretary was business executive Vincent Viola. He withdrew his consideration in February because of his financial holdings.
